Operating device for washing-machines



L. E. DIETZ.

OPERATING DEVICE FOR WASHING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24. 1916.

1 ,381, 1 21 Patented. July 12, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

L. E. DIETZ.

OPERATING DEVICE FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.24, 191s.

1,34,12L Patented July 12,1921,

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

LOUIS E. DIE'IZ, 0E? CINCINNATI, OHIO.

OPERATING DEVICE FOR WASHING-ll-IAOIEIHES.

Application filed January 24 1916.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Louis E. Drnrz, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Devices for VVashing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invent-ion belongs to that class of washing machines in which an agitator or dasher is given an alternating rotary motion in the tub or body of the machine, to wash the clothes, and which is operated at a high speed, and is provided with a fly wheel to insure increased momentum for the operation of the machine; and further, provide means and so connect the operating mechanism to the lid of the machine, that said lid may be opened and closed during the operation of the machine, and which lid is automatically locked when closed and can only be opened manually.

I combine and arrange the parts which form the operating mechanism in a simple, fixed, durable and unique form and manner to insure ease and smoothness of operation and uniform and continuous effective action in washing the clothes. The combination and arrangement of the parts to produce the desired results and their various features and advantages will readily become apparent from the following specification.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification:

Figure 1, is a side elevation of my invention.

Fig. 2, is a plan view thereof,

Fig. 3, is an end view, parts being broken y,

Fig. 4, is a side view of a locking device used by me, and

Fig. 5, is an end view thereof.

The tub is marked 1 and is provided with a bottom 2 and a top 3, through which is an opening to allow the arm or shaft 5 of the dasher 4 to pass through said top. At one side of the tub 1, at the bottom thereof, 1 place a shaft 6, on which is mounted a pinion gear 7 and a fly wheel or fly wheel pulley 8.

At the side of the tub 1, I rigidly attach a long peculiar shaped bracket 9, having bearings for carrying part of the operating mechanism. This bracket, at its lower end, is provided with bearings 10 and 12; shaft 6 being supported in bearing 10 and a shaft Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 12;, 1921..

Serial No. 73,870.

18, in which is mounted a rock or oscillating shaft 19, at the inner end whereof is a bevel gear 20, which meshes with a bevel gear 21 supported at the upper end of shaft 5 of the dasher 4-. At the outer end of the rock shaft 19, I connect one end of handle or lever 22. This handle is preferably made of two parts joined together at 23 by a movable joint so that the outer end of the handle can be set at varying angles and thus capable of adjust ment to suit the operator.

At or near the joint 23 of the handle parts, I place an extension or short arm 24, to which I pivotally connect the upper end of the pitman 25, the lower end of said pitman being pivotally connected to the large gear 14:, at the point 26.

In the upper end of the bracket 9, 1 provide a s ot 27 and at one side of the said slot, 1 pivotally attach, at point 28, a dog or looking latch 29 having weighted end 30. @n the support 17, i provide, at its outer extremity, a rib 31, which extends out like a wing, which works up and down in the slot 27, as the lid is raised and lowered. When it is desired to raise the lid. the dog 29 is released by lifting the weighted end 30, thus releasing rib 31 as the lid is lifted and when the lid is closed. the rib 31 strikes the rear end of the dog 29 and wedges into the slot 27 and thus holds the lid against displacement of any kind and thus locking the lid automatically. The dog 29 and rib 31, each have at the contact point knurled or roughened surfaces to prevent slippage and insure perfect operation.

Moving the handle 22, forward and backward. imparts motion to the pitman 25, which imparts motion to gear wheel l l which meshes with gear 7 and operates the shaft 6 and thus operates the fly wheel pulley 8, thus giving momentum to the operation; this same operation of the handle also rocks the rock shaft 19 which imparts motion to gear 20 and it in. turn meshing with gear 21 on shaft 5 to which the dasher 4 is attached gives an alternating rotating motion to the said shaft 5 and consequently to dasher 4.

The handle may be omitted, (that is, the

upper part thereof) and power applied to the fly wheel pulley 8 through the medium of a belt, not shown, and in this way the washing machine may be operated by power. In carryingout my invention 1 preferably place the oscillating or movable shaft on the lid about at the center line of the top of the tub, and the pivotal point of connection between the top of the pitman and the lever 10 and the point where the lever is attached to the oscillating shaft are approximately in the same horizontal path or plane, and

.that the distance from theoseillating shaft and the top pivotal point of connection of the pitman, and the distance from the oscillating shaft to the hinge line of the lid are about equal, and further that the point, (at the side of the tub) where the gears and fly wheel are mounted and connected is in the rear of the line of the rock shaft. This disposal and arrangement of the parts just referred. to and the peculiar arrangement of the pivotal points andconnections, enables me to perfectly and satisfactorily raise the lid of the machine, whether the machine is still or in operation, or whether is operated manuallyor by power, and I also secure ease and uniformity of continuous operation and great power with the least exertion and energy by the operator.

It will be understood that the lid, the dasher and its connections, the rock shaft and its connections, the handle lever and the pitman can be lifted up or closed with as the lid and the pivotal point between the lower part of the pitman and the large fly wheel will be the hinge or fulcrum point upon which they all move and it will be obvious that such movement of the parts can to be accomplished when the lid is opened or is in a closed condition or while the machine is still or in operation.

It will be readily apparent that this invention is capable of a certain degree of 15 modification and I wish to be understood as claiming that such modifications will still fall within the scope of my invention.

What l'claim as new and my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. The combination with a washing machine tank having a vertically swinging hinged cover, of a bracket fixed to the side of said tank and having an offset lower end provided with a bearing, a stub shaft mounted in said bearing, a fly-wheel and a small gear mounted on said shaft and arranged being one of its ends pivotally connected to the outer end of said arm and its other end pivotally connected to said large gear, the

distance between the axis of the horizontal shaft and the hinge point of the cover being approximately equal to the distance between said axis and the point atwhich the pitman is connected to said arm to permit the cover to be raised while the horizontal shaft continues to operate, an operatinghandle connected to said arm, and a dasher shaft mounted in said top and having a gear which meshes with the horizontal shaft gear.

2. @perating mechanism for washing machines comprising a substantially vertical bracket provided at its lower end with a horizontal shaft, a small spur gear and a fly wheel mounted on said shaft and jointly movable, a stub shaft carried by the bracket, a large spur gear mounted on the stub shaft and meshing with the small spur gear, a. hinged support, an oscillating shaft carried by the hinged support and provided with arm which is fixed to the oscillating shaft and extends in a direction opposite to the pivotal point of the hinged support, a pit man pivotally connected to said arm and to said large spur gcar,'a dasher shaft operatively connected with the oscillating shaft, a bracket carried by the hinged support and supporting the oscillating shaft, said last named bracket being provided with a projet-ting lug, the substantially vertical bracket having a recess in which the lug normallyrests, and a weighted lever pivotally connected to the substantiallyvertical bracket and engaging said projecting lug. v Witness my hand at Cincinnati, Ohio, January 21 1916.

LOUIS E. mn'rz.

Witnesses L. M. DUNLor, H. E. GARsrnNs. 

